Will there be a happy ending?
by Lucy Wiggin
Summary: The last chapter. Chloe/Whitney
1. Default Chapter

Pairing – Chloe/Whitney  
  
Disclaimer – I own Smallville, and I'm making tons of money out of this story.  
  
  
  
Chloe set in the Torch room. She was sobbing.  
  
Chloe didn't have any "real" reason to sob. Everything was normal- Earth was spinning round itself, the sun was up at the East each morning…and Chloe Sullivan was in love with Clark Kent.  
  
Chloe usually didn't cry much. This current burst of tears surprised even her.  
  
She hated her state.  
  
Being in love with a guy, who's in love with another girl, who happened to be Homecoming queen.  
  
I'm such a loser, she thought for a brief moment, than corrected herself. No, I'm not a loser. I keep the paper going , I do well in school, I'm a good friend.  
  
No, I'm not a loser. I'm just a pathetic geek in love with her best friend.  
  
Chloe used the back of her hand to wipe her tears, her face was completely wet, she knew her eyes are red.  
  
Chloe wished she had someone to blame. Other than  
  
herself.  
  
She wished Lana to be a bitch, or Clark to be a total jerk…unfortunately, they weren't. They were both nice, friendly teenagers. Damn.  
  
So she had nobody to blame but herself.  
  
Chloe began to sob again. The tears ran down, creating wet passes as they made their way down her face. They  
  
had the taste of salt.  
  
Chloe's second burst of tears was stopped after a minute or two. She waited a few more minutes, to make sure her face regain their white natural color  
  
,than continued to work on her article.  
  
"Hi , Chloe!" The voice belonged to Clark Kent,  
  
, who stood at the Torch door, grinning, looking as happy as one could get.  
  
"She broke up with Whitney" He announced Chloe with triumph. There was no need to ask who "she" is. Lana  
  
Lang, Miss Perfect.  
  
"Wow, This could be the Torch's next headline." Chloe responded. "Head Cheerleader, out in the market  
  
again"  
  
"Come on, Chlo, aren't you happy for me?" Asked Clark, slightly hurt.  
  
1 Yeah. So happy I could jump off a cliff to express my  
  
joy.  
  
2 "So, what are you going to do about that?" Chloe  
  
enquired.  
  
"I decided" Clark said dramatically "To ask her out. "  
  
Great, Clark. Instead of stalking the girl, you actually  
  
gonna date her. Now where's the fun there?  
  
"Great"  
  
"How do I look?" Clark asks with excitement.  
  
"Your usual self"  
  
"That good or bad?"  
  
That's the best you, or anyone else, can ever be.  
  
"That's fine, Clark. Go, make your move"  
  
"Ok. Wish me luck." Clark ran off the office, his cheeks blushed.  
  
Chloe looked for a number. She found it, and dialed.  
  
"Hello, when is the nearest time I can get an appointment?" she asked the clerk on the other side.  
  
Clark called Chloe that night.  
  
"She said yes! She said yes!"  
  
"Great. I'm happy for you, Clark."  
  
"You don't sound happy"  
  
"I'm just tired, that's all. Congratulations."  
  
They chatted for another minute or so. The second Chloe closed the phone, she set on her bad, hugged her pillow, and wept like only a rejected teenager can.  
  
In a week, Clark and Lana were part of the school's view. They held hands, laughed together, set next to each other on the school bus.  
  
Chloe watched them for a while, than looked through her bag. Thank God for chemical happiness, she thought, as she swallowed another Prozac pill.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chloe left her car on the way to her monthly check at the shrink. It took ten minutes, usually. Since she refused to get therapy, all the shrink has to do was to ask "Is everything ok, Chloe?" With the damn fake sympathetic look on his wrinkled face. I don't need your mercy, Doc, thank you very much.  
  
Than he would ask about her state than she started with the happy pills, and she'd say that everything's fine, and the dose was just right to keep her on the right track.  
  
It all went as usual, and in a record time- seven minutes  
  
She was out of the Doctor's room.  
  
Than she saw him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Whitney wasn't sure what he was doing in the waiting  
  
room. It wasn't his style, to see a shrink.  
  
He set there in the waiting room, trying to read the Time, remembers the cover with the three-year old Lana, after her parents died.  
  
He put the Time down. He was too nervous to read.  
  
I'm such a failure, he told himself. Can't even solve my own problems. He put his head between his hands in desperation.  
  
Suddenly, the door opened. He saw the Doctor, a man in his mid- forties, and a petite blonde – The Torch editor.  
  
"Sullivan" 


	2. Proposal

Chloe lifted her head from her glowing iMac. She thought she heard something…footsteps?  
  
Yep, that was probably it. Because right in front of her, leaning on the wall, was the blond quarterback  
  
she avoided all day with such success.  
  
His WB hair fell on his face, his blue eyes were as bright as ever. A perfect example of the All-American  
  
boy stood on her threshold.  
  
"Can we talk?" He asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "What about?" Chloe knew well enough what he wanted, but still hoped to avoid the subject  
  
He moved inside the room. "We met at the shrink's office". "Yes" Chloe said in a neutral voice.  
  
Whitney looked as if he was about to turn away for a second. Than came to his senses.  
  
"I came to ask…to ask you not to tell anyone. See, I don't think my friends will understand my current…situation."  
  
Chloe was down right surprised. She expected anything but this shy, hesitated request. Threats, sure, but not polite words.  
  
"Look, fordman, I don't want people to know I went there, either. So, as long as you keep quiet, you can relax. I won't tell a soul."  
  
Whitney looked extremely relieved.  
  
"So, "Fordman's on Prozac" won't be the Torch's next headline?" He asked with a half-smile.  
  
"Not unless you want it to."  
  
He turned to leave. "Thanks, Sullivan. See you around"  
  
"Honestly, Fordman, I hope not. The last time was more than enough."  
  
He laughed. "Guess so. Bye"  
  
"Bye."  
  
  
  
Clark and Lana set at a table as close as possible to the cafeteria center.  
  
They were talking. To be precise, Lana talked. Clark tried to eat the "mystery meet", which lay in his plate, and listen at the same time. Once in a while he murmured an encouraging "hmmm…"  
  
The story Lana was telling had something to do with her parents, that much he was sure of. Other than that, he completely lost track five minutes ago.  
  
He never thought before listening could be such hard  
  
work. He always listened to Chloe, after all.  
  
Chloe. He hasn't spoken to her for a while.  
  
Actually, he  
  
barely talked to her since he and Lana began to date, a month ago. Now that he thought of the matter, he  
  
began to wonder. Was Chloe avoiding him?  
  
He considered the problem for the next few moment- Lana didn't seem to notice.  
  
She probably felt hurt because they didn't spend as much time together as they used to, he decided, feeling rather guilty. He'd go to the Torch room after school and talk to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
Whitney knocked on the Torch's closed office. How can it be, she wondered, she was always there.  
  
Yet, nobody answered, and he was about to leave when he heard noises behind him. "Chloe?"  
  
It wasn't Chloe. Instead of the cute blonde, it was the guy who dated his girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend, if you insist.  
  
"Fordman. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to look for Chloe." Said Whitney as icily as he  
  
could. He wasn't going to be nice to that guy.  
  
"She's not?"  
  
Clark tried the doorknob himself. The room was locked.  
  
All he had to do was to glare at the quarterback in question. What does He want from Chloe?  
  
"Well" Clark said at last "I'm going" If you see Chloe,  
  
tell her I need to talk to her." He walked away, pissed.  
  
Whitney looked after the annoyed Kent. An idea began to take form in his mind.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chloe was ready for school when the doorbell rang.  
  
There weren't many options- it was either  
  
Clark or Pete. Pete was the more logical option these days, so she opened the door without her usual "Who's there?"  
  
A moment later she was quite sorry for her lack of caution. Whitney Fordman was at her door.  
  
"Hello, Chloe. I came to offer you a ride"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Come on" He took her school bag. And went to his truck. Chloe followed. This is a t.v. show, she decided, and this is the parallel dimensions episode, the one which  
  
comes when the writers ran out of all the good ideas.  
  
With my luck, I probably got the Lana Lang role in this world.  
  
They got to the truck, and he opened the door for her.  
  
As he started the car, she dared to ask.  
  
"Whitney, why are you here?"  
  
"To offer you a ride, of course. And a business proposal. 


	3. Joey & Dawson

"Um.proposal? " Repeated Chloe in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, why is that so hard to believe?"  
  
"Well, besides our Prozac addiction, we have nothing in common. What can you propose to me?"  
  
Whitney turned his eyes to her. "We have another thing in common." "And what is that?" "We both want a certain couple to brake up, so we can have one of them all to ourselves." "You mean Clark and Lana" How could he possibly know about her crush on Clark? She thought she was being subtle!  
  
"I understand why you want them to brake up, but why would I want that?"  
  
"Because of your very obvious crush on Kent. Each time I look at them, I see you looking at them, too, with a very hurt expression on your face, as if someone just shot your dog."  
  
"I don't have a dog"  
  
"It was a metaphor, you know. A Dawson's creek metaphor, which is our next subject."  
  
Chloe lost Whitney on that point.  
  
"Ok, I admit that I have a certain.attraction to Clark, but what does it have to do with Dawson?" " And I thought you were smart, Sullivan. Even I, the stupid jockstrap can see the connection between the annoying show and our problem. "  
  
"Hi!" Chloe said. "Why do you insult me?"  
  
"Isn't one of your hobbies insulting me?" Blush came to Chloe's cheeks. "Look, Fordman, maybe I misjudged you."  
  
"Maybe" He agreed grimly.  
  
"Never mind" Whitney continued.  
  
"My point was, that our problem is a Dawson's Creek kind of problems, we need to solve it in Dawson's Creek means."  
  
"You actually watch the show?" Chloe asked in amusement.  
  
Whitney sighed. "Lana made me. She said it's a good insight on teens' problems today."  
  
Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, right. We are all self obsessed idiots, who prefer talking about real life rather than living it." Whitney sighed again, deeper this time. He seemed unaware of it. "Lana thinks so." "Maybe it's because Joey's mom is dead, too. Like Lana's parents" Said Chloe. "She talks about them a lot".  
  
"Forget why I watch Dawson's Creek. What's important, is that Clark and Lana are our Dawson and Joey."  
  
"If I was them I'd be very insulted right now." "Would you stop making those smart-ass comments for just one minute? I'm trying to explain something important!"  
  
Chloe closed her mouth.  
  
"They are never happy. They always want what they can't have. Clark wanted Lana because she was mine, Lana wanted Clark because he started to notice you."  
  
Chloe's heart jumped at her chest to that statement, but she remained silent.  
  
They stood in a red light.  
  
"Which means" Whitney went on "That they are soon to be unsatisfied with each other. They will want something new, and we will be there, to help them to channel that need to the right direction."  
  
Chloe couldn't stop herself any longer.  
  
"And how exactly will we make that particular miracle happen?" Whitney looked at her in disapproval.  
  
"Didn't I tell you to spare the snark?"  
  
"Yes. So what?" "So. If you don't, I'm not going to tell you, and you can watch them at the cafeteria for the rest of your miserable life."  
  
Chloe had an answer for that, but something in his voice hinted her that the jockstrap was serious. And the idea of watching the happy couple through the entire high school made her shudder.  
  
"Sorry. Tell me your idea."  
  
As the light went green, Whitney shot his next sentence.  
  
"We will pretend we fell in love."  
  
That left Chloe out of words, an unusual state for her.  
  
"That" Whitney explained as he parked the truck in the school's parking lot "Will make them jealous. I promise you."  
  
Chloe still couldn't find the words. It was.absurd? Unthinkable? And maybe that was just the thing she needed to make Clark notice her again?  
  
"Um.I have to think, Whitney."  
  
Whitney gave her a serious blue gaze. "Don't think too long."  
  
"I'll tell you in two days." She replied.  
  
None of them tried to step out of the car.  
  
"Why me, Fordman? You can have any girl in school for your little fraud, in case you didn't know."  
  
"But not one of them has such strong interest in making the whole thing work such as you have. "  
  
"Guess you're right" Chloe admitted. "I'll think of that"  
  
"I'd come to the Torch office in two days to see you." Whitney took Chloe's bag as well as his own and opened the door. Chloe opened hers as well and they both went together inside the school. Chloe could practically hear eyeballs pop out of people's head when they caught site of them. "We attract attention" Chloe whispered uncomfortably. "That's the point. Somebody would tell Clark and Lana that I gave you a ride and walked you to class. Think about it as a little experiment in order to see how they react."  
  
Chloe nodded. It made sense, in some, very twisted ways. They reached Chloe's class, and Whitney handed Chloe her bag, making sure the entire hallway crowd was watching them.  
  
"See you in two days" He whispered to her ear, his breath warm. Chloe blushed. She knew the entire school was watching.  
  
"See you" She managed through clenched teeth.  
  
Chloe was busy studying for math.  
  
The test was tomorrow, and, to her dismay, the equations refused to get themselves solved.  
  
It would have been different if Clark would have helped her, she knew. He had a gift for tutoring, and she pushed herself harder, knowing he expected her to do her best.  
  
He was tutoring Lana now. Which brought her back to the subject which she avoided thinking for the last whole five minutes: Whitney Fordman's proposal. Not that she could pull it off. Not in a million years. And if  
  
she'd not be able to pull it off, the whole school would find out, and they'd laugh till the end of time, and beyond. On the other hand, if she wouldn't accept the offer, she'd be sentenced for life of Clana-love.  
  
Chloe felt a strong urge to hid under her bad and never come out. Instead she shrugged, and zipped some more coffee.  
  
"So, have you made up your mind?" Chloe turned in her editor's chair to face the quarterback.  
  
"Hello, Fordman, nice to see you, too."  
  
Whitney shook his head. "Sorry."  
  
"Forget it. I made up my mind."  
  
He came closer. The smell of his aftershave reached Chloe's nostrils.  
  
"And what have you decided, if I may ask?"  
  
"I'd go for it. I don't know why, but I would."  
  
Whitney smiled. He stretched his hand for hers.  
  
"So, do we have a deal?"  
  
Chloe took the hand he offered her. "We have a deal."  
  
To be continued. 


	4. Faking it

Author note:  
  
The story takes place somewhere early season, when Whitney was suppose to be the stupid jock, when Clark didn't really notice Chloe.etc.  
  
"Say, Sullivan, don't you have a home to go to? Why are you always here?"  
  
Chloe jumped from her sit.  
  
" Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you"  
  
Her new partner walked into the room, wearing his "Crows" jacket, as usual.  
  
"Oh, you didn't". She said, too quickly.  
  
"I'm not easily intimidated"  
  
"Oh, I know" He moved swiftly behind her  
  
"Can I see what you're working on? "  
  
Chloe covered the screen with her hands.  
  
"I prefer not."  
  
"Why?"  
  
He leaned closer to her  
  
"Is it another earth-shattering exposition about the football team?  
  
I can see the headline  
  
"Football players caught masturbating in the dressing room"  
  
Chloe blushed.  
  
"Do they?"  
  
"That's our own little secret" He grinned to her.  
  
"So, why are you always here?"  
  
"I happen to enjoy it. Some people want to play for the Sharks, some want to work at the daily planet. "Not everyone's life ambition is be popular and hang out with a bunch of stupid jockstraps"  
  
"Better not say it when we do start to hang out with them together."  
  
He examined her closely, noticing the combination of pants and skirt, her blue and yellow shirt.  
  
Nothing Lana would ever wear.  
  
"Maybe you should buy some new clothes. "  
  
He said, more to himself than to her.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You know, not that there's anything wrong with the clothes you're wearing right now, but I thought you might want to fit in with something a little more. "  
  
"Sluttier?" Chloe suggested.  
  
Now it was Whitney's turn to blush.  
  
Why did he ever mention her clothes? He should have known better, he told himself grimly. Girls don't like any comments about their appearance other than "You look great".  
  
"No, not sluttier. You know.tighter. Like other girls"  
  
"I'm not other girls. And I'm not going to give up my clothes just to be popular. Next thing you'd want me to put on pom-pom brigade uniform and that stupid jacket of yours on top."  
  
Whitney face brightened. "You're right".  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Whitney took off his jacket and wrapped it around her thin shoulders.  
  
"It says: "Whitney and Chloe are dating""  
  
Chloe examined the jacket.  
  
"Didn't hear it say anything other than "I have no personality""  
  
She said lightly and regretted it immediately as his face darkened.  
  
"Look, Chloe, you want it to work, right?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She nodded.  
  
"So play along! We're not going to get them separated by making smart-ass remarks about today's society fucked-up structure. Face it, jock and cheerleaders are popular, school newspaper's editors aren't!"  
  
Whitney knew he was being harsh on her, but her attitude got to him. Why does she have to be to direct? Why can't she be more.more like Lana? Lana would have shut up and do as she was told, he was sure of that.  
  
"Who ever said I want to be popular?"  
  
She asked, her eyes on him.  
  
"Everyone wants to. It's the American dream. Ever watched Spiderman?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Chloe began to see his point. It was very surprising to find he has one, and that he's able to put words together into coherent sentences, but than again, Whitney Fordman surprised her in the last two weeks more than anyone else her entire life. Weird. Should she change her entire life perspective and treat jockstraps as equal? Not right now, she decided. Maybe, some day, in another lifetime.  
  
"There's a reason why it became a Blockbuster. Think, Chloe!"  
  
"Ok, ok."  
  
Chloe slipped her hands into the sleeves.  
  
Whitney seemed very pleased with himself.  
  
"It goes well with that blond hair of yours"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Really"  
  
"Thanks"  
  
"So, do you have any plans for tonight?"  
  
"Staying home, watching re-runs and eat cookies."  
  
"Feel like doing something more .exciting?"  
  
"Like drinking and driving? No, thanks"  
  
"You need to lay off the sarcasm, Sullivan. I heard there's a good twelve- step program in Metropolis. Join it when you reach the Planet.  
  
"Now who's being sarcastic?"  
  
"Self-defense. Like Karate, sarcasm should be learned and trained regularly while dealing with the queen of snark."  
  
Chloe couldn't help it. She smiled broadly. He smiled back, and for a moment, there were just the two of them in the world.  
  
Chloe tried to get back to normal.  
  
"So, what's going on tonight?"  
  
"A poet -reading evening over at the coffee shop. Lana would drag Clark, I'm sure of that. God knows she used to drag me. It would be a good chance to show our new-established relationship."  
  
"What should I wear?"  
  
"Something sluttier. Don't forget the jacket."  
  
"You stupid jockstrap!"  
  
"I love you, too, Chloe."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lana noticed them first.  
  
They entered together, holding hands, smiling, and she was wearing his football team jacket.  
  
Ok, Lana, you broke up, remember?  
  
He has the right to date any girl at school, he has the right to let her wear his jacket, as he used to let you, and he has every right to be happy.  
  
After all, you and Clark are.  
  
Why shouldn't he?  
  
"Lana?" She heard Clark's voice "Is everything ok?"  
  
"Oh, yes, it's just. the coffee" she ended lamely.  
  
"It's too sweet."  
  
"I'll get you another"  
  
"No, it's ok, don't bother."  
  
"No bother at all"  
  
He kissed her cheek, and went searching for another cup.  
  
Lana couldn't take her eyes off Whitney and Chloe.  
  
They were sitting together, holding hand.  
  
"Don't look now" Chloe whispered.  
  
"But a certain ex-cheerleader is staring at you back" "Really?"  
  
Whitney automatically turned his head to see, and Lana returned her gaze quickly.  
  
"Told you not to look!"  
  
"Sorry, couldn't help it."  
  
"What about Kent?"  
  
"He." Chloe searched the room.  
  
"He just spotted us"  
  
"And?"  
  
"He and Lana should have ran a contest who is staring longer at your back."  
  
"Our work here is done."  
  
To be continued. 


	5. Friends

Author's note:  
  
My Word believes I should write Hebrew, therefore there are bugs in every step of the way, and that's the reason for a somewhat strange look of the story.  
  
  
  
  
  
"It's shrink day," Chloe said in a low voice.  
  
"Shhh" Whitney hissed her.  
  
He glanced nervously around the cafeteria to make sure no one listened.  
  
"I'll be at your house at four," He said in his regular voice.  
  
"What's going on in your war front?" She asked.  
  
"Not here" He got up and so did she, they went to the yard and set themselves on a bench.  
  
"I think everything is going fine" He told her. "Lana looks at with those me with those puppy eyes of hers whenever she sees me, she even murmured something about "you being happy as I am"  
  
Chloe shrugged. "Sounds like Lana."  
  
"How's the Kent thing going?"  
  
"The same, more or less. They're much alike, our Joey and Dawson."  
  
"Told you."  
  
She shrugged again, it was just the time for the bell to ring.  
  
He took her hand, and they went back to the building.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Whitney rang at Chloe's door at four.  
  
She smiled to him as she opened the door, and he smiled back. He's nice, she thought. Maybe, after everything is over, they would stay friends. Probably not. He was a football player, popular, good-looking.all the things she wasn't. Other than good-looking, of course. They had nothing in common, except the happy pills and a broken heart.  
  
"You want to go first?"  
  
He asked her as she entered his track.  
  
"Couldn't care less. I'm not too fond of him anyway. We need more shrinks in Smallville. I want to be able to choose."  
  
"But that will ruin our "Pleasantville" image, Chlo. We couldn't possibly allow that. Nobody in Smallville ever needs mental help. We're all happy here, between cornfields and meteors. Most people here think people like us should be in hospitals, away from their quiet little town."  
  
"You're almost as cynical as I am, Fordman. I like that. Maybe you can give lessons to Clark."  
  
"Maybe you can give lessons to Lana. And while you're at it, throw out all her pink sweaters."  
  
After that they kept comfortably silent for a while.  
  
For the hundred time Chloe wondered why didn't anybody notice all the town's weird events. Like Whitney said, they all insisted to close their eyes. There's nothing wrong in Pleasantville. Just lots of corn, meteor rock, and two disturbed teenagers who didn't belong. Even if one of them faked it admirably.  
  
"Say, Sullivan, what Kent has that I don't?"  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about? Isn't that other way round? You're the popular quarterback, the handsome All-American guy. You're an American myth, almost equal to Mom's apple pie.  
  
"So why does he date my girl? And why are you so into him?"  
  
He demanded.  
  
"Well." Chloe stopped. What can she possibly tell him?  
  
"Clark is very handsome, beautiful, even. He's smart, he's innocent. People are attracted by his farm boy charm. In his way he's another All-American boy- Good, honest, helps poor???, protect the weak."  
  
"As opposed to?"  
  
"You're going to have another accident, driving like that."  
  
She warned him.  
  
"Fuck that"  
  
"I guess that's the reason you lost your other tracks. You don't give a damn, do you?"  
  
"Not really. Does that count for death wish?"  
  
"You need more Prozac."  
  
"Give it to Kent. He got my life. Let him have the Prozac as well."  
  
"Why do you feel so sorry for yourself?"  
  
"Because my life is ruined, Chloe!" He hit the wheel with his fist.  
  
"What? So Lana left you. Ok, it happens. It's not the end of the world. Every girl in school would be glad to go out with you."  
  
"It's not Lana. Lana was the last straw, I guess. It started before. The day I've lost my scholarship, maybe. Forget that, it started the day I was stupid enough to hang damn Kent in the damn cornfield."  
  
"That wasn't very nice of you."  
  
"Don't you think I know that? Ever since, things got worst. I would have apologized, but he's so annoying I'm afraid I'd end up kicking his ass instead."  
  
"You need more Prozac."  
  
She repeated.  
  
"I need a new life."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Chloe" The voiced was hunted.  
  
"Hi, Fordman."  
  
She looked at him. His face was blushed, his eyes.an animal running away from its hunters.  
  
"We're the talk of the school"  
  
"I know that. That was the whole point."  
  
"No, forget the stupid dating thing. Somebody saw us at the shrink's office. The coach had a "talk" with me today."  
  
"A talk? What was the "talk" about?"  
  
"High school pressures."  
  
"God" Chloe began to laugh, almost hysterically.  
  
"Wait, there's more. The rumor says, apparently, that we know each other from a mental hospital in Metropolis.  
  
"What?!" Chloe almost screamed.  
  
Whitney set down, head between hands.  
  
"I'm dead." He murmured.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. So you see a shrink. So you take Prozac. So what?"  
  
"So what? I'd tell you. You should see the way they look at me when I went through the hallway to get hear. They gossip. Yesterday they worshipped me, today I'm a subject of their pity."  
  
"Bullshit, You're still the quarterback. You hold the damn team on you shoulders"  
  
"It doesn't matter. It's a small town, I told you. You're from Metropolis, you can't possibly understand.  
  
But Chloe understood. They were both labeled now. The label said: "Nut cases. Do not touch". It didn't matter much to her. Pete wouldn't mind. And Clark.she wasn't sure they were friends anymore But all those who looked up to Whitney, who were always jealous of him, would be thrilled to find out he was that something's wrong with him. But she couldn't tell him that.  
  
"Hi, it's ok" She got up and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Those narrow minded idiots shouldn't get to you. You're still the best football player in town."  
  
He looked up to her  
  
"That means our little game is over. No way Lana would date me now. She's going to treat me as another one of her charity cases."  
  
Chloe coughed.  
  
"Maybe I should have told you that earlier, but better late than never: Lana is an idiot. The only things she cares about are her parents, and they died thirteen years ago! Do you think it's normal to carry a piece of the meteor that killed your parents around your neck? I don't!"  
  
That made his laugh.  
  
"No, I guess not. God, I got to get out of this little town. Now more than ever."  
  
"Whitney?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Ever thought of getting an academic scholarship?"  
  
"What?"  
  
To be continued. 


	6. Moving on

Author's not:  
  
I think I'm a reviewohholic. Please satisfy my addiction.  
  
  
  
"Ok, Fordman," Chloe was sitting on the bad in her room, holding a notebook.  
  
"Who's Holden Caulfield?"  
  
"A very disturbed teenager with a duck obsession"  
  
"Oh well," said Chloe  
  
"Can't say you didn't read the book. Just don't write that on you test paper."  
  
Whitney hesitated for as second or so.  
  
"Ok. How about: Holden Caulfield is a lonely teenager looking for a meaning in a world he considers fake and hypocrite. A world in which values are overlooked and success is the only thing that counts."  
  
"A good start, Fordman, but drop the "looking for a meaning", it's cliche. All people look for a meaning. That's why new age books are so popular. "  
  
"Ok" Whitney agreed. He was sitting on a chair near her desk, facing her.  
  
They did sessions like that for the last two months, ever since Chloe managed to convince Whitney that his only way out of Smallville is through a scholarship, no matter which kind. She found few small colleges who were practically willing to have anybody, one of them even had a bad football team. Whitney's chances looked better than ever.  
  
Whitney and Chloe found refuge at each other's company. They had troubles at start to walk through school, till one day Chloe said, "Fuck them".  
  
Since than, they didn't give a damn. You can only care to a certain level. They talked often. Speaking of their lives so far, disgust with the little town's narrow minds, or just laughing Those talks helped them more than any pill.  
  
Whitney watched Chloe. She wore a skirt today, great legs, he thought.  
  
Chloe, realizing that Whitney wasn't really concentrated, began to talk again.  
  
"Btw, since you already mentioned the ducks."  
  
They went like that the entire afternoon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The day after Whitney finished his exam to find Chloe waiting for him at the class' door.  
  
"How did it go?" she asked eagerly.  
  
She wore dark blue jeans, slightly tight, a white top, and his jacket above all. Whitney wasn't sure if he grew fond of her clothes alone, or that his general affection to her made her clothes more attractive.  
  
"Good," He gave her his best smile, and wondered what would she say if he told her she looked lovely. Probably snore in disgust, he decided, and dropped the idea.  
  
"I filled about ten pages with Caulfield's crap."  
  
"I really don't know what you have against him."  
  
"He's an ass" Whitney replied. He took her hand.  
  
"Come on, let's see what the Cafeteria has to offer today?"  
  
" Mystery meet and fake mash potatoes" She grinned.  
  
They both sighed. "Haven't they heard about hamburger and fries?" Whitney complained.  
  
"Oh, no" Chloe replied, her severe face.  
  
"It's all a conspiracy, to lower our happiness level even more. The teachers are all into it. They were affected in the meteor shower, and now they want to finish us all. That's why we get homework."  
  
"God," Whitney laughed "I have no idea how you're capable to say those things with straight face."  
  
"Years of practice on the real thing, Fordman. When you deliver crazy theories almost on a weekly basis, you get used to it."  
  
"I believe that," He told her.  
  
He opened the cafeteria door with his free hand.  
  
They arrived just in time.  
  
Lana and Clark stood at the room's center. Both flushed.  
  
"Lana."Clark began.  
  
"Don't "Lana" me, Clark Kent!" She yelled.  
  
"I can't believe you said those things!" She went on.  
  
"All I said," Clark was yelling now "Was that we might talk about something else. Why do we always have to talk about your parents? You were three when they die!"  
  
Lana eyes' were full with rage. The entire school watched eagerly, new people came every minute.  
  
" At least I don't talk about my farm chores all day." She mocked his voice.  
  
"Lana, Dad wants me to chop woods. Lana, Dad wants me to clean the barn. Lana, Dad wants me to feed the cows. When will you realize nobody cares whether you have to feed the cows or not? I don't care about cows, farm boy! I need your attention!"  
  
"And lots of it." Clark murmured.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I said" Clark stopped for emphasis "That you need lots of attention."  
  
"We're over!"  
  
Lana walked to the door, her head high in the air.  
  
"Fine!" Clark yelled after her. The door slammed.  
  
"You can go after her, you know." Chloe told Whitney.  
  
"This is your chance to get her back.."  
  
Whitney stared at the closed door for a second, than turned to her.  
  
"Yeah" He agreed. "Than I'll have to pretend I'm listening while she goes on and on about her dead parents and how Kent was mean to her and how Nell doesn't really love her. Hell, I had enough of it when I dated her."  
  
"Don't you want her back?" Chloe asked with surprise.  
  
He hesitated.  
  
"I thought I did, really. If you asked me a month ago, I would have said, "Yes, I do want her back.""  
  
He paused.  
  
"But now, I'm pretty sure I don't want to hear any dead parents crap for the rest of my life." 


	7. Complicated but not naked

"Chloe, Chloe, wait up!"  
  
A tall farm boy ran down the hallway, following a petite blond.  
  
Chloe turned her head just as he stopped near her. She noticed that he didn't look breathless Life in a farm is very healthy, apparently.  
  
Clark touched her shoulder.  
  
"Hi Chloe"  
  
"Hello, Kent." Chloe gave him a little smile.  
  
"Listen, I'd be glad to stand here and chat, but I have to meet Whitney in about three minutes."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Disappointment appeared on Clark's beautiful face.  
  
"Hi, farm boy, don't look so miserable, ok?" Chloe felt a stab of guilty in her stomach.  
  
"How about you come to my house this afternoon? We can watch a movie."  
  
His face brightened "I'll bring the movie."  
  
"I'll make some popcorn," Chloe promised.  
  
"See you." She began to walk again.  
  
"I'll see you at five." He called after her.  
  
"All right" She called back.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I thought you got lost" Whitney said with a smile.  
  
"No, it's just that I had to fight my way here. I swear that where ever I go, the whole school comes after me."  
  
"I'm sure it has something to do with meteor rocks."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Or with the fact that it's the end of the day, and we don't have too much hallways in school."  
  
Chloe pretended to consider the matter. "Oh, I guess that's possible, too."  
  
He took her bag, as he always did.  
  
"Listen, I have football practice today, and after that I have to go to the store, but I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"  
  
Chloe nodded. "Sure."  
  
"You should tell you're meeting Clark this afternoon, you know" A voice whispered in her head.  
  
Chloe ignored the voice. She and Clark were just friends, and Clark needed her support right now. Besides, since when does she give Whitney a full report of everything?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chloe opened the door for a grinning Clark.  
  
"I brought Men In Black II" He announced as he entered her house.  
  
Chloe tried hard not to pull a face - she had already seen the movie, with Whitney, and wasn't too impressed.  
  
He wore his usual plaid shirt - God, he really has to burn them all- his almost buggy jeans, and his hair was the usual, wonderful dark mess she loved.  
  
He looked around "Where's the popcorn?"  
  
"Oh, shit!" Chloe punched her head. "I completely forgot. Sit down, it'll take five minutes."  
  
"I can help you" He offered  
  
"In opening the popcorn package and shoving it into the microwave? Just sit on the couch and wait." She ordered him.  
  
Clark obeyed. He put the DVD in its place and set on Chloe's couch, while she hurried to the kitchen.  
  
She put the popcorn in and set the microwave, than leaned against the table and took a deep breath. Why did having Clark in her house, alone, felt so bad? Chloe was as nervous as on her recent math test day.  
  
The micro beeped. She opened it, put some salt on top and took it to the living room.  
  
He gave her his megawatt smile.  
  
"Can I start the movie?" He asked.  
  
She nodded "Go ahead."  
  
Chloe's tension level rose high as she sank in her sit.  
  
"Hi, are you going to keep all the popcorn to yourself?" Clark laughed. He moved himself closer to her. She handed him the bowl.  
  
"I'm not so hungry."  
  
"Oh, ok." Clark began to eat the popcorn with all the eagerness of a teenage boy.  
  
"Didn't you eat at home, farm boy? I find it hard to believe that Martha Kent won't feed her son properly."  
  
"I ate lunch, but it was almost two hours ago!"  
  
"Want anything else? I think I saw few Mars bars in the fridge."  
  
"Yes please."  
  
As Chloe got up, the doorbell rang.  
  
"Wait a second" she told Clark, walking to the door.  
  
"Whitney!"  
  
He smiled to her, as usual, obviously happy to see her again.  
  
"The practice was cancelled, so I thought you might want to catch a cup of coffee at the Beanery."  
  
His voice died out. He spotted Clark.  
  
"What is HE doing here?"  
  
"We're about to watch a movie." Chloe stopped for a second.  
  
"You can join us" She suggested.  
  
Clark got up. "Hi Whitney."  
  
Whitney nodded his head. "Kent." He said in an unfriendly tone.  
  
"Chloe, can I talked to you, outside?" Whitney put his hand on her arm.  
  
Chloe didn't want to go outside, she had a pretty good idea of what Whitney was about to say, but she had no choice.  
  
"I'll be back in a second, Clark. Help yourself with those bars."  
  
She stepped outside. "What is it?" She whispered.  
  
"I can't believe you are seeing him again!" He whispered back, his tone harsh.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He didn't pay any attention to you while he dated Lana, and now he's lonely and need some company, so he turns back to you."  
  
"No he doesn't. We're friends, friends come to each other in time of need."  
  
"Sure. That's why he ignored you in the last three months or so. Can't you see? You're his second choice, his backup girlfriend. He goes to you for some comfort, than when the next beauty arrive, you'd be just good friend Chloe again. Good friend Chloe that can be dumped any second because she'll always have him back."  
  
"Fuck you!"  
  
Chloe tried hard to stop her tears. How dare he say those things to her?!  
  
"You know I'm right, Chloe. He's Dawson Creek material. That's what they do."  
  
"Get away from me!" Tears rolled on her face without control.  
  
"Don't cry, please."  
  
He tried to wipe her tears.  
  
"Don't touch me!"  
  
Clark appeared on the doorstep  
  
"What's going on? Chloe?"  
  
Chloe rubbed her face quickly to dry the tears.  
  
"Everything's ok, Clark. Whitney is just leaving."  
  
After Whitney entered his new truck, Chloe ran back inside the house.  
  
"Chloe?" Asked Clark in an uncertain voice.  
  
Chloe looked up to him. He looked so naive, in the farm boy clean-cut looks. What does he know about her? What did they ever had in common?  
  
"Clark, go home, please. I can't explain. Just.leave."  
  
"Why, Chloe?"  
  
"Go, please" She repeated.  
  
"I'll call you" He promised. Chloe couldn't care less. She sank on the living room carpet.  
  
Chloe Sullivan had a thing for Whitney Fordman, the All-American jockstrap.  
  
Who would have thought? 


	8. The happy ending

"So, we're going to pretend as if nothing happened? Chloe asked Whitney, as he opened the car door for her.  
  
Whitney stared at the road.  
  
"What's there to talk about?"  
  
"Your shameless burst into my personal life."  
  
"You'd thank me one day."  
  
Chloe got pissed. "And why would I thank you, Whitney Fordman?" She asked with the best sarcastic tone she could manage. "By interrupting my afternoon with a brilliant, sexy, innocent farm boy?"  
  
"No, because I interrupting your afternoon with a guy who broke your heart once and will do it again, if you let him. You can't fall for him again, Chloe."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Yeah, again. I think you just got over him. Now he's doing his thing again, and you're falling for the same old tricks. "  
  
"You don't know Clark. He doesn't have those "tricks" other guys have. He'd never hurt me on purpose."  
  
"He did a good job last time, with purpose or without it. You were heartbroken"  
  
Chloe went quiet, trying to come up with an answer.  
  
In a way, he was right. But she couldn't accept it.  
  
Clark represented for her everything that good in the world. He was painfully naive, he had a good heart, he helped the needy, and he was completely unaware of his good looks.  
  
"It wasn't his fault, Fordman. I fell for him, he never encouraged. He had eyes only for Lana"  
  
"I'm not saying it was his fault. I'm saying you got hurt, that's all. Do you want to get hurt again?"  
  
"Not really" Chloe admitted.  
  
"So do yourself a favor and get away from Kent. Take some time for yourself."  
  
They arrived at the school's parking lot. Whitney stopped the car.  
  
"On last thing, Fordman." Chloe stopped him.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why do you care so much? We've been friends for what, three months? Why would you mind if he breaks my heart or not?"  
  
Whitney took a deep breath.  
  
"Because I love you, Chloe Sullivan."  
  
Then he leaned to her and kissed her slightly on the lips.  
  
  
  
There was a lone figure near the football field. Some players noticed her, and got nervous by the minute.  
  
What is she on this time?  
  
They didn't cheated on their last midterm- The new coach refused to continue this not-so-honorable tradition, such a shame. So why was the annoying reporter in their practice? Did she want to join the cheerleading squad?  
  
"Ok" Called the coach at last. "That's all for today, good job."  
  
Whitney Fordman began to take off his helmet, but stopped midway.  
  
Was she.she was there, indeed, probably waiting another dose of her famous snark. He guessed he deserved it. Not for the first time he wished to be someone else. Clark Kent, for example.  
  
Chloe entered the field. She had to talk to him now, before he hit the showers.  
  
"Whitney!" She shouted, "Wait up!"  
  
He stood there, helmet in hand, his hair all messed up and sticky with sweat, the way Clark's hair never was.  
  
She ran to him, and so did he. They met halfway inside the field.  
  
"Listen, Chloe" Whitney began "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things"  
  
Chloe seemed stunned.  
  
"Are you sorry for kissing me?" she asked without breath.  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"Are you?" She demanded  
  
"No. I love you. I know you don't feel the same, but I do."  
  
"Who told you I don't feel the same?"  
  
"Well, you do have that crush on Kent."  
  
"Had." Chloe corrected him  
  
"Are you really in love with me?"  
  
Whitney nodded. "I'll get over it, don't worry. In a year or two."  
  
Chloe never found out what would happen in a year or two, because she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him  
  
"You're all sweat" she told him as they stopped for air.  
  
"Sorry"  
  
"I like it."  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
The deans of Colombia University never realize why young Professor Fordman's literature classes were so popular among female students.  
  
Alas, to the students' disappointment, the professor was as married as one could get.  
  
His wife, the famous investigation reporter, Chloe Sullivan, taught a class in journalism that was equally popular between the male students of the distinguished institute.  
  
Professor Fordman, who used to play for the Metropolis' Sharks, also did a part-time commentary job on the TV, becoming a nation-wide known figure.  
  
They named their first born Clark, after the investigator reporter who married Chloe's cousin, Lois.  
  
They knew who he really was, of course- did he think that suit would deceive anybody who really knew him?  
  
They kept his secret, of course, and Clark and Lois knew they always have a place to stay when they come to New York.  
  
And they lived happily ever after (as far as I know!)  
  
  
  
  
  
So, that's it. It's been a great fun writing this story. Thanks for all the kind reviewers.  
  
My intention was to describe the less-then-perfect people of Smallville, who are as great, in their own, slightly fucked-up way, as TV characters could get.  
  
Thank you all.  
  
Lucy Majere. 


End file.
